


From Dirt to Comfort

by Demon_Apostle



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Basically Hanzo gets a cat, Because he appears the most in the oneshot, Fluff, Hanzo-centric, Just Add Kittens, Light Angst, M/M, Mostly everyone else is mentioned, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-19
Updated: 2017-08-19
Packaged: 2018-12-17 09:26:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,719
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11848704
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Demon_Apostle/pseuds/Demon_Apostle
Summary: Hanzo has never had a pet before, but that doesn't mean he'll overlook a baby animal crying out in pain.





	From Dirt to Comfort

**Author's Note:**

> I can't tell you how many mchanzo dog adopting oneshots I've found. As a cat lover, I feel a little outnumbered, so I decided to write a fanfic where mchanzo gets a kitten.

If someone had asked Hanzo Shimada about what animal he liked, whether as a pet or not, they would have probably never gotten an answer. Maybe a dismissive shrug or a quick question of ‘who knows’. It was never really something the archer had thought about, mind always occupied with other things that were deemed more important. Hanzo never had the time to think about what animal he would want as a pet or which one he liked the most if they couldn't be trained, although there were times where he briefly considered his dragons to be giant guard dogs. Of course, that was never a thought that really stayed, not with everything else going on in Hanzo's life, so the idea of having a pet was sort of shoved completely out of the man's head.

 

That is, until a particular mission in Italy.

 

It was reconnaissance, fairly easy with no real danger unless the supposed Talon agent they had been tailing found out about Overwatch’s presence. It might have been one man, but no one knew for sure if he could contact Talon within the span of a few seconds if their cover was blown. Overwatch had only been able to spare three agents, which definitely wasn't enough to deal with what could potentially be an army if it was an enemy they were watching. Especially since the three agents consisted of Hanzo, Lucio, and Lena, and they could in no way hold their own against a hoard of enemies without backup.

 

Thankfully, it seemed that they wouldn't have to fight at all considering their quarry was doing absolutely nothing to reveal that he was part of Talon. The assassin sighs for what is probably the fifth time, knowing full well that this would have been the outcome the moment he was assigned the mission. The details had told of a  _ possible  _ Talon agent, not one that they were sure was an enemy, so Hanzo was fully aware that this particular mission was a bust. It seemed even Lucio and Lena thought the same thing because both were conversing rather than tracking, and by the end of the day, it was Lena who radioed Winston that the intel was wrong. The scientist didn't sound very surprised and told the agents to return after they got some rest seeing as how it was after midnight. Hanzo couldn't have been more onboard with the idea, especially since he's already been away from McCree for two days. Now, with a failed mission under his belt, the elder Shimada wants nothing more than to curl up against his cowboy's inexplicably warm body and demand attention.

 

_ Like a cat,  _ McCree would often joke.

 

_ Shut up,  _ was Hanzo's clever reply.

 

So with the knowledge that he'll be returning to his boyfriend after he gets some sleep, the archer jumps off of the roof he had been using to get a vantage point and lands in an alleyway. Hanzo could jump from roof to roof to get to the hotel they're temporarily using and avoid the public, but it isn't that far of a walk from his current position and he's too exhausted to care about strangers staring at him. Of course, that doesn't stop him from pulling up the other sleeve of his kyudo-gi and covering up his tattoo.

 

With that done, Hanzo is about to join the few night owls that are still walking around, but he doesn't even take a step when he hears a noise. It's high pitched and pathetic, barely lasting a second, but it catches the assassin's attention nonetheless. Hanzo surveys the alley to see if he can't find the source of the noise in nearly complete darkness, a nearby streetlight providing some help for his eyes. Finally, he spots something, a small jerk of movement near a trashcan that produces another noise. Hanzo stares at the spot for a few seconds, debating walking away or satisfying his curiosity. After another whine is produced from whatever creature is next to the trashcan, the need to find out what could be crying in an alleyway is too great, and the elder Shimada cautiously moves closer. He doesn't think that whatever is in the alley with him is going to be much of a threat, but Hanzo isn't about to take any chances. Of course, when he's finally close enough to see the animal hiding by the trash, the archer feels a little stupid for being on guard.

 

With the little light shining in from the street, Hanzo can finally tell that the whines were coming from a small kitten. It was laying on its side, apparently struggling to hold up its head if the shaking was any indication. Hanzo wasn't really sure what to think, but at least he knew he wasn't dealing with a newborn since the kitten’s eyes were open and it had a good amount of fur. However, it was still fairly small, and if the archer had to hazard a guess, he was staring at the runt of the litter. It would make sense considering there didn't seem to be any other cats loitering in the alleyway and Hanzo had remembered reading somewhere that if a baby isn't strong enough, it'll be abandoned by the parent.

 

It must be that reminder that spurs the elder Shimada's next course of action because pretty soon, he's kneeling in front of the kitten, a hand outstretched so it can sniff him. Hanzo expects the small hiss he gets when his hand moves a little too close, but that doesn't stop the man from moving closer so his fingers can run over the tiny body. The kitten still hisses, but it apparently lacks the strength to do anything other than its pathetic attempt at hostility, so Hanzo tries to take things a step further. Being careful so he doesn't hurt something so tiny, the assassin picks up the kitten, noting with a frown that it can practically fit in one of his palms. Accompanying its smallness is apparently a lack of nourishment because Hanzo doesn't have to press very hard to feel the bones hiding under the fur and he's sure that if there wasn't any, the man would be seeing the full extent of the absence of food.

 

At this point, the kitten has given up on trying to scare Hanzo away and has resorted to crying out with more loud, high pitched whines. The elder Shimada has a feeling it's trying to call for its mother, has been doing that since she abandoned it, and he can't help but feel sorry for the kitten. So, after a quick check to make sure that he is indeed dealing with an orphaned animal (as well as a quick look at the gender), Hanzo holds the kitten close as he makes the quick journey back to the hotel where Lucio and Lena are waiting. They're both standing outside the hotel and looking a little worried, but that slight fear vanishes once the audio medic spots him walking their way. Hanzo tries to prepare himself for the onslaught he's about to receive for both his tardiness and the tiny bundle of fur trying to wiggle around in his hands. The first thing the archer has to deal with is Lena and her frown as she begins scolding him for arriving later than the other two despite the fact there had been no set time for them to return to the hotel.

 

“I was getting real worried, luv! Lucio was keeping me from calling you over the comms! What was taking you so long?” Hanzo stares at the girl without saying a word before he decides it'd be better to just get it over with. So without uttering a word, the assassin looks down at his hands where he had been cradling the kitten then holds them out so both of his teammates can see why he was “late”. The effect is immediate, Lena squealing with delight while Lucio smiles and begins cooing at the kitten that is now too startled to try hissing at them. Instead, it just stares at the two, shying away when the audio medic tries to scratch its head with a single finger. Lena is still smiling from ear to ear, one that is soon moving from the kitten to Hanzo.

 

“Where did you find it?!” The elder Shimada tries not to wince at the sudden increase in the girl's volume, instead choosing to gently run a thumb over the kitten's back in the hopes of soothing it.

 

“I found him in an alley next to the building I was on. He appears to have been abandoned as I did not see any other cats around.” The explanation seems to upset Lena if the way her smiles lessens is any indication, but she immediately moves to offer a finger to the kitten who actually takes the time to sniff instead of hiss. Lucio is going through his music, trying to find a track that might help the kitten in some way as he explains what they could do.

 

“Well, he definitely needs to get food in him asap. Poor guy is practically skin and bone. Maybe the hotel manager has something we can give him.” Hanzo hums as he moves the kitten closer, watching closely as it starts to curl up in what is probably an attempt to sleep.

 

“Or at the very least, she can tell us where to find something for him.” Now with a plan and some hope for helping the kitten survive after probably being alone and without care for so long, the three agents quickly go to ask the hotel employees about nourishment for the little animal. Luckily, their pleas aren't met with disdain since the manager seems to be fond of cats. She immediately gave them an eyedropper and some small cartons of milk that had been in the employee lounge, explaining to the three agents when they should feed the kitten and how much. As a bonus, she even gave them directions to a nearby pet store that Lena planned to quickly make a run to so they could get some shampoo and maybe a toy or two for the kitten.

 

Back in the hotel room, Hanzo begins trying to feed the tiny animal who seems to have found a previously unknown reserve of strength as it begins squirming in an attempt to get the man to put it down. The assassin huffs in annoyance as he tries to correct his hold on the kitten before he brings the eyedropper full of milk to the animal's mouth. It takes time and a lot of coaxing, but pretty soon, the kitten is lapping up the milk with vigor, not bothering to stop until the eyedropper is completely empty. Hanzo doesn't know how long it takes, but by the time the kitten has gotten its fill and has stopped drinking the milk, a little over half the small carton is gone. The assassin smiles as he notices the now full belly, his fingers softly stroking over the kitten's back who yawns and starts curling up in the man's hands. The display is cute and it almost makes Hanzo not want to keep the kitten awake just so he can bathe it, but who knows just how much dirt and bugs reside within the animal's fur. So the elder Shimada stands out of the chair he was using and moves to the bathroom where he begins filling up the sink with warm water. He doesn't fill it completely, and by the time Hanzo has made a small bath for the kitten, there's a knock on his door.

 

Lena stands on the other side, a bag in her hands filled with a shampoo bottle and a couple cat toys that the kitten will no doubt try to destroy once it has ahold of them. The former pilot also went through the trouble of getting a flea collar, something Hanzo appreciates as he thanks her with a small smile. The kitten is still dozing off while curled up in the archer’s hand, but that soon changes once they return to the bathroom. Hanzo has to change his hold on the kitten and that probably wouldn't have been so bad had he not begun setting it slowly into the sink. Once the kitten touches just a little bit of the water, it begins crying so loudly, one might think the assassin was torturing the poor thing. Thankfully, the kitten barely has any defense against Hanzo's bow wielding hands, so it just continues to whine and scream as the man cleans its fur.

 

It doesn't take long for the water to go from clear to a muddy gray, bits of dirt and other stuff beginning to float around in the sink. It makes Hanzo's nose wrinkle in disgust and he's soon draining the unclean water before turning on the faucet. He uses that to clean what little shampoo remains on the kitten until finally, the elder Shimada is satisfied with his work. Hanzo uses one of the hotel's hand towels to dry the tiny animal off and he's amazed by the sudden change in fur color. When the archer had found the kitten, it was a skinny, gray ball. Now, after some food and a proper bath, Hanzo realizes the kitten is actually completely white with what appears to be a case of heterochromia with its eyes. The assassin wonders how he didn't notice until now that one eye was green and the other blue, but he ignores it in favor of getting the flea collar on the squirming kitten. It definitely turns out to be a challenge, but eventually, Hanzo triumphs and has successfully put the collar on without getting bitten or scratched. The elder Shimada holds the kitten close as an apology for somewhat ruining its nap and he feels a tiny smile form when it returns to curling up in his hands as if the bath and collar battle never happened. As he watches it a bit longer, Hanzo can't help but think he's picked out the perfect name for the little guy.

\-----

To say that the watchpoint was in an uproar would be an understatement. As it turns out, kittens can have a really big impact on how annoyed some people are by making them completely forget their troubles with just one look. Everyone wanted to get a peek at Kichiro, not at all surprised or confused to hear that Hanzo was the one who found the kitten and took care of it. The agents were simply so excited to see such a tiny animal that any and all thoughts concerning how soft the assassin was getting flew out the window.

 

Even McCree, who had once told Hanzo that he was more of a dog than a cat person, couldn't stop himself from letting out little coos once he saw why everyone was gathered in the hangar. The action caused the archer to roll his eyes, trying very hard not to smile at how absurd his boyfriend was being. Of course, that urge to smile didn't last because once everyone had settled down a bit and stopped acting like they were seeing a kitten for the very first time, it was a long battle with Winston and Jack over keeping Kichiro. The scientist had been informed ahead of time that Hanzo had found a kitten, but he wasn't exactly thrilled about having such a small animal walking around the base where it could easily get lost or hurt. Jack was more concerned about the trouble Kichiro would cause and the lack of attention some of the agents might have during briefings if the kitten was to hang around during crucial moments. Hanzo tried to assure them both that he could take care of such a small and non-lethal animal without any problems and after some stubbornness on both sides, Winston and Jack relented.

 

However, their concerns didn't turn out to be entirely unfounded because once Kichiro had settled into his new home and was no longer wary of the people walking around, he was a living nightmare. The kitten would try to shred and bite anything it could find and had even began doing a cat’s favorite pastime of knocking everything off of surfaces Kichiro managed to get on top of. No one was quite sure how such a small kitten could find its way on top of so many high areas, but they were quick to learn that someone should always have their eye on Kichiro unless they wanted to end up cleaning the floor and counters.

 

It was especially bad when the kitten began going to the bathroom within the watchpoint, something Hanzo quickly tried to fix by having Athena look up pet potty training videos. They weren't really as helpful as the assassin would have liked, but at least he was somehow able to get Kichiro to use the bathroom outside instead of in the base. 

 

Thankfully, everything seemed to get better once the kitten got a little bit older. Everyone found out quickly that Kichiro was a fan of laying in people's laps, sometimes demanding attention while other times, he simply slept. Of course, if there wasn't anyone to offer the kitten attention (which was rare) then it would simply play with the ever growing pile of toys it owned. This would cause many of the agents within Overwatch to laugh or take pictures, amused and smitten with Kichiro who seemed to relish the attention.

 

However, one thing everyone seemed to notice is that when Hanzo was in the room, paying attention or not, the kitten would always stay close to the man or demand his time by pouncing on his feat or whining loudly. Genji found it hilarious, McCree thought it was downright adorable, and Hanzo acted nonchalant about the whole thing even though he was secretly smiling on the inside. It might have been because the elder Shimada never got to experience having a pet before, far too busy with the expectations of his family to take care of an animal (not that he was allowed one in the first place), but it was a nice feeling. Hanzo found Kichiro was also good at calming him down when McCree wasn't there to ground the older man back to reality after a nightmare. It may have taken longer than normal, especially since the kitten lacked the ability to speak or give bear hugs, but Kichiro would be there, meowing and rubbing against Hanzo until the man was pulled from wherever his fear filled mind wandered. The archer would always thank the kitten with scratches to its head or a couple small treats from a bag he kept in his and McCree's shared room once Kichiro could eat solid food. And even though it took some time, Hanzo soon found out that the gunslinger would do the same. If the older man was away on a mission and couldn't be there to chase away the demons of McCree's past, Kichiro would yet again act as a point of focus and keep the younger man from spiralling into a pit of madness. Hanzo figured that explained why the bag of treats always seemed to empty so quickly after a week or two.

 

Unsurprisingly, the moments with the assassin and his boyfriend might have been what spurred on Kichiro to seek out the agents who needed something to calm themselves. Hanzo noticed it a few times, the kitten curled up against a teammate who either just got back from a mission or hadn't moved from the same spot in a room for awhile. One particular moment happened with Hana who Hanzo had found while he was looking for Kichiro. The girl was in the rec-room, staring at the television in front of her, but not really registering what it was playing. Hana’s eyes were practically glazed over and she looked paler than normal, and if Hanzo wasn't already an expert on noticing the signs of insomnia then he probably would have thought she just got done with a stream. The elder Shimada continued to watch as Hana stroked Kichiro’s fur, the kitten content to lay on the gamer’s lap and purr. It made the girl smile and she softly thanked Kichiro who just responded by purring louder. Hanzo left them alone, knowing the kitten would find him once its services were no longer required from Hana.

 

Later that night, when Kichiro returned to the shared room, he was given a couple treats for a job well done.

 

After that, it became a reoccurring thing for Hanzo to find the kitten with his teammates, even those not very fond of felines. At first, the archer wasn't sure why Kichiro was always hanging around people who seemed to want to be left alone, but Angela had cleared it up for him when he had asked her about it. The doctor wasn't an expert on animals, but she knew about therapy pets and that some were more attuned to the feelings of humans. Angela had explained that Kichiro could probably figure out fairly quickly if a person was in pain and was taking it upon himself to see if he couldn't help in some way by offering companionship. The explanation made some sense to Hanzo even though he still wondered how a kitten with only a little over a month of human interaction could figure out when someone needed company. He tried so hard to come up with an answer, but later on, when the assassin stumbled upon Jack in the mess hall, gently petting Kichiro like he was his only friend in the world, Hanzo decided there was no reason to question it. Instead, the elder Shimada chalked it up to the kitten wanting to return the kindness he had been shown by providing comfort to those who needed it.

 

And afterwards, when both Hanzo and Kichiro are curled up on the bed with McCree acting as their heat source, the gunslinger will once again joke that his boyfriend is like a cat. Only this time, rather than get angry, the archer will just roll his eyes while he thinks  _ maybe just a little. _

**Author's Note:**

> Kichiro is actually based off of a cat I used to own, only I had named him Snowball. What can I say, I was in middle school.


End file.
